Questions....

Questions....

Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:51 am

1.) Will cedar shavings kill my Knockout Roses? I found a bucket of mulch that I had over at my brother's house today. A couple of years ago I had used red mulch and I think that broke me out and made my hands and arms swell up. I thought this was the leftovers from that. Yes, I was going to use it again. I needed mulch and needed to save money too. It turns out they were from where we had the dogs. Have I just killed my roses?

2.)Can I mix in some copy paper with my dirt and leaves mixture? Still in an effort to save money I am planning on using some dirt from a pile in the yard. I want the dirt to have a little more substance so I thought about adding leaves and paper.

3.)Does anyone else feel guilty when they accidentally cut a worm in half? I feel so bad for the poor little guy/guys. Maybe it's just me.

I am super careful when I dig. The other day, my husband and I were turning soil to get ready for spring planting and came across the biggest worm we had ever seen. My husband carefully moved him out of harm's way and placed him back in the bed when we were done digging. That's when I realized how lucky I am to have found him, lol.

I don't see how cedar shavings could kill the roses. I supposed it would be a bit better if composted first, but you could maybe compensate by layering "greens" -- used coffee grounds, grass clippings, seedless weeds.... A banana peel under the mulch for each rose is a time honored tradition. You can put a layer of the green underneath the mulch for a more uniform and tidy look.

"dirt and leaves mixture" ??? I think you might want to look in the Compost Forum for ideas on how to make your own "dirt" Yes shredded copy paper goes in there too. If you really don't have much greens and we're talking small quantities, then worm compost might be the way to go.... and you can have "pet worms" (At least that's what my kids tell me they are. "These worms are your pets, right?" )